The clocks spring FORWARD this weekend which means we gain longer light filled days (whoop whoop!) but we lose an hour’s sleep…whose idea was that?! In preparation for the clock change, we wanted to share some tips. Some parents love a plan and some love to go with the flow so as with everything else, try to work out which approach works best with your family and adapt accordingly.
For the routine based parents.
For 4 days ahead of the clock change, adjust their feed times and naps by 15 minutes each day.
The confusing part is you move their routine in the opposite direction to the change so you move
backwards to spring forwards. We cannot imagine why a sleep deprived parent would find that
confusing …let’s break it down!
If your baby’s feed times are usually 6:30, 10:30, 2:30, 6:30, adjust them as follows…
Day 1- 6:15, 10:15, 2:15, 6:15.
Day 2 – 6:00, 10:00, 2:00, 6:00.
Day 3 – 5:45, 9:45, 1:45, 5:45.
Day 4 – 5:30, 9:30, 1:30, 5:30.
Once clocks spring forward, your whole day’s timings will spring forwards to where it was.
For the go with the flow parents.
If the thought of adjusting their timings each day, feels like another source of mental stress, you
don’t have to make any changes, apart from to the clock on the oven! Get them up at their usual
wake up time and focus on the new timings for meals and naps. It may require a bit of distraction
here and there but they will adjust. Funnily enough, it will probably take the same amount of time
as the routine parents spent adjusting timings.
The Science-y bit.
Our sleep is guided by our circadian rhythm (body clock) and this is influenced by exposure to
light and dark. As the day ends, the light fades and this triggers our melatonin release (our sleep
hormone) and sends a message to our brains that we are ready to sleep. The next morning, the
light increases and this triggers our cortisol release which shuts down our melatonin and tells us
to get up and go, go, go! As there is more natural light in the summer months, a blackout blind is
a good investment to stop the sunlight streaming in. A gro clock is a good visual way to show
your children when it is time to start the day.
Following the clock change…
⛅ – Start the day at your usual time.
🌳 – Go outside! Exposure to natural light helps regulate our circadian rhythm
🍴 – Eat meals at the adjusted times.
💤- Follow your usual bedtime routine at the adjusted time.
💫 – Stay calm and be consistent – they will adjust.
And if they don’t or you can’t face another week of wait and see, get in touch, we can help!
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